Plan for Eli McClanahan
by Eli McClanahan · 02/03/2003 (12:03 pm) · 2 comments
I added all of the modern reasons for the global war going on in the plot today, found here: Modern Times The actual plot homepage is here: Home
I hope I'm remembering how to link these things correctly. You never know with me.
So, the plot is done, basically. Unless I get some type of gripes about inconsistency or things that just don't look right from the dev's POV, nothing should be changed. Of course, I get the feeling that Phil doesn't care about the plot anyway. ;D
Lately, I've been experimenting with terrains. I tried DEMs for a while, but I could never really find one I loved. So, I just went back to making my own. I soon found out that the game's auto-texturing feature is crap, as it's basically pulling down its pants and squirting textured diarrhea all over my terrain. I get the idea of WHY it's generated by a random seed in that in reality, grass doesn't cover the whole planet, but it just looks hideous in comparison to what I can do by hand. The fact that it's generated by a random seed really defeats the purpose of placing some textures by height or slope I must say. If I'm dissapointed by anything in Torque in terms of mapping, it's that.
Anyway, here are some terrains I've been working on: My first textured DEM map - not very realistic.
My second textured DEM map - the terrain is a little too hilly for RW I discovered, and doesn't fit well with any textures aside from rock textures, which we don't have enough of.
A recently handmade terrain - there's not much of anything that makes the terrain have a signature quality besides the solitary mountain
Another handmade terrain - I was experimenting with trying to make a terrain just one giant mountain, and soon found complications in that it was too sloped to place objects or tiny villages; I smoothed things out and things just got ugly.
This is my latest handmade terrain - I overwrote the previous terrain with this one, which I'm very pleased with; it's basically an almost level plain with many surrounding hills and mountains, all housing small roads that wind back together if the player ventures beyond the mission boundary; what I like about this terrain is that it looks like a real road, traveled frequently in between major cities; I've made it into a CTF map.
This is the same terrain as above, at a different angle; I notice from the screenshots that it doesn't look too impressive, but once you're on the ground, things start to look more realistic; I actually had fun the other day roaming around the place, exploring the terrain I had created; I hope this can make it as a map one day, although anything that's released now probably won't last since we're not far enough along into development of models and map design (we're missing elements like night/day and some replicator updates.)
I hope reading in red isn't too much of a strain.
Other than that, I've been trying my hand at drawing again. Personally, I don't think I'm too good in comparison to a lot of the people here, although some people tell me differently, while others love to criticize me if I ever think for a moment that I'm any good. Who can say?
I've only drawn one concept sketch for RW, that I've managed to scan in: Minotaur
If anyone is that interested, they can change the number on that link from 03 to 01, 02 or 04 to see other things, although they have nothing to do with RW.
I'd also been drawing up concept sketches of the Unknown (another important storyline concept). People tell me the body shape isn't right (muscles and things), but it's not supposed to be right - that's sort of the point, since it's supposed to be deformed and not have muscles. But oh well. It's evolved a little over time, with the help of Pascal: And yes, it really is that big. If someone ever models it, it'll become a one-map only model, unless some stupid mapper comes along that has no clue what the storyline is about and thinks, "Ooo, pretty!"
My first concept of the Unknown - it took me a while to get all the dimensions from my head onto paper.
I tried to model this one more after the concepts that Pascal drew up for me; people not in GG told me they personally liked the first design better though (as did I, but I figured the professionals knew best).
This is my "final" concept, in which I went back to my original concept, my favorite, and just tried to smooth things out; I really wanted more of a tortured, sad feel to begin with, not something mean and evil, so I got bored and made this.
I'm thinking of drawing up another, since my last one didn't have a good angle or give a good definition of the tortured sadness that the Unknown is supposed to possess.
I've drawn up two more that I haven't scanned in yet: one is of that bug race Chris thought up (take a look in the tasks section under class/race development). The other is just something I thought up... I think I'll say it's a picture of Virsai (an important character in the plot).
Anyway, that's about it. I'm pretty useless since I can't code things up or make models, I know. You can beat me up now.
I hope I'm remembering how to link these things correctly. You never know with me.
So, the plot is done, basically. Unless I get some type of gripes about inconsistency or things that just don't look right from the dev's POV, nothing should be changed. Of course, I get the feeling that Phil doesn't care about the plot anyway. ;D
Lately, I've been experimenting with terrains. I tried DEMs for a while, but I could never really find one I loved. So, I just went back to making my own. I soon found out that the game's auto-texturing feature is crap, as it's basically pulling down its pants and squirting textured diarrhea all over my terrain. I get the idea of WHY it's generated by a random seed in that in reality, grass doesn't cover the whole planet, but it just looks hideous in comparison to what I can do by hand. The fact that it's generated by a random seed really defeats the purpose of placing some textures by height or slope I must say. If I'm dissapointed by anything in Torque in terms of mapping, it's that.
Anyway, here are some terrains I've been working on: My first textured DEM map - not very realistic.
My second textured DEM map - the terrain is a little too hilly for RW I discovered, and doesn't fit well with any textures aside from rock textures, which we don't have enough of.
A recently handmade terrain - there's not much of anything that makes the terrain have a signature quality besides the solitary mountain
Another handmade terrain - I was experimenting with trying to make a terrain just one giant mountain, and soon found complications in that it was too sloped to place objects or tiny villages; I smoothed things out and things just got ugly.
This is my latest handmade terrain - I overwrote the previous terrain with this one, which I'm very pleased with; it's basically an almost level plain with many surrounding hills and mountains, all housing small roads that wind back together if the player ventures beyond the mission boundary; what I like about this terrain is that it looks like a real road, traveled frequently in between major cities; I've made it into a CTF map.
This is the same terrain as above, at a different angle; I notice from the screenshots that it doesn't look too impressive, but once you're on the ground, things start to look more realistic; I actually had fun the other day roaming around the place, exploring the terrain I had created; I hope this can make it as a map one day, although anything that's released now probably won't last since we're not far enough along into development of models and map design (we're missing elements like night/day and some replicator updates.)
I hope reading in red isn't too much of a strain.
Other than that, I've been trying my hand at drawing again. Personally, I don't think I'm too good in comparison to a lot of the people here, although some people tell me differently, while others love to criticize me if I ever think for a moment that I'm any good. Who can say?
I've only drawn one concept sketch for RW, that I've managed to scan in: Minotaur
If anyone is that interested, they can change the number on that link from 03 to 01, 02 or 04 to see other things, although they have nothing to do with RW.
I'd also been drawing up concept sketches of the Unknown (another important storyline concept). People tell me the body shape isn't right (muscles and things), but it's not supposed to be right - that's sort of the point, since it's supposed to be deformed and not have muscles. But oh well. It's evolved a little over time, with the help of Pascal: And yes, it really is that big. If someone ever models it, it'll become a one-map only model, unless some stupid mapper comes along that has no clue what the storyline is about and thinks, "Ooo, pretty!"
My first concept of the Unknown - it took me a while to get all the dimensions from my head onto paper.
I tried to model this one more after the concepts that Pascal drew up for me; people not in GG told me they personally liked the first design better though (as did I, but I figured the professionals knew best).
This is my "final" concept, in which I went back to my original concept, my favorite, and just tried to smooth things out; I really wanted more of a tortured, sad feel to begin with, not something mean and evil, so I got bored and made this.
I'm thinking of drawing up another, since my last one didn't have a good angle or give a good definition of the tortured sadness that the Unknown is supposed to possess.
I've drawn up two more that I haven't scanned in yet: one is of that bug race Chris thought up (take a look in the tasks section under class/race development). The other is just something I thought up... I think I'll say it's a picture of Virsai (an important character in the plot).
Anyway, that's about it. I'm pretty useless since I can't code things up or make models, I know. You can beat me up now.
About the author
#2
Phil.
02/04/2003 (12:41 am)
That minotaur is fine Eli, looks like a minotaur (which is far far in advance of what a lot of "artists" ive come across can achieve, including myself.Phil.
Torque Owner James Margaris
I can't tell much from the terrain pics...are you making a map for the new release? I will try to catch you on IRC soon, I was busy all weekend entertaining company. One thing we really need is a decent CTF map. (Decoy's map is a bit too big and also too hard to tell where to go)